CALOSTOMATACEAE 189 



throughout; between these masses run loosely woven fascicles or plates of branched 

 threads with broad annular thickenings that are not obviously connected with the 

 fertile hyphae and which entirely disappear before the maturity of the spores (Burnap, 

 p. 1S3). Basidia ovate or pyriform or short-clavate, irregularly arranged throughout 

 the fertile tissue. Spores sessile, variable in number (5-12), irregularly placed on 

 both ends and sides of the basidia (Burnap, p. 1S5), oblong-elliptic to globose, walls 

 usually pitted. 



This peculiar genus is complex in structure and very striking in appearance. 



The ephemeral threads with annular thickenings suggest a capillitium and are 

 almost certainly homologous to it. They are so-called by Fischer, but it seems best 

 to us to reserve this term for the threads found in mature fruit bodies. To say, as he 

 does, that Colostoma possesses a well developed capillitium is misleading. In the young- 

 est plant we have (C. cinnabarina) which is unexpanded but with spores about mature 

 there are only a few detached fragments of this earlier system. These fragments show 

 much narrower thickenings than those shown by Burnap. 



Rev. Edward Hitchcock has published a non-technical article under the head of 

 Physiology of Gyropodium coccincum (Amer. Journ. Sci. and Arts 9: 56, pi. 3. 1825), 

 describing a Colostoma. He speaks of the genus and species as recently established by 

 Schweinitz, but the latter does not seem ever to have published this name, as noted 

 by Hitchcock farther on. It does not seem to be known how Hitchcock got the name 

 from Schweinitz. The species he described is doubtful. Burnap thinks it C. cinna- 

 barina; Saccardo, lutescens. 



Mitrcmyccs Nees is the same as Colostoma. 



Literature 



Atkinson. A New Species of Colostoma. Journ. Myc. 9: 14. 1903. 

 Burnap. Notes on the Genus Colostoma. Bot. Gaz. 23: 180, pi. 19. 1897. 

 Fischer, in Engler and Prantl. Pflanzenfamilien l 1 : 339, fig. 177. 1900. 

 Lloyd. Myc. Notes, p. 123, pis. 8 and 9. 1903. 



Lloyd. The Genus Mitremyces. Myc. Notes, p. 238, pis. 68 and 69. 1905. 

 Massee. A Monograph of the Genus Colostoma. Ann. Bot. 2: 25, pi. 3. 1888. 

 Morgan. Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. Hist. 12: 20, pi. 2A. 1889. 

 Webster. Notes on Colostoma. Rhodora 1: 30. 1899. 



Key to the Species 



Spores 3.5-5 x 6-10 C. microsporum (p. 192) 



Spores larger 



Spores elliptic; exoperidium on dehiscing falling away entirely, the outer part forming a thick soft 

 jelly; entire inner surface of the exoperidium and outer surface of the endoperidium bright 



red when fresh C. cinnabarina (p. 189) 



Spores elliptic (a few may be spherical) ; exoperidium not gelatinous, the inner layer remaining as 



scales on the endoperidium; red color confined to the mouth region. C. Ravenelii (p. 191) 



Spores spherical; exoperidium composed of a firmly gelatinous (not watery) outer layer and a corky 



inner layer, on dehiscing a large part remaining as a collar around the base of the 



endoperidium; red color confined to the mouth region C. lutescens (p. 190) 



Calostoma cinnabarina Desv. 



Plates 100 and 123 



Rooting stalks stout, rooting, usually short and often scarcely lifting the peridium 

 above ground, dull, sordid ochraceous and soft gelatinous. Exoperidium when fresh 



